A traditional martial art, like Kuk Sool Won™, is about more than the development of physical skills. The learning and personal development opportunities it provides go much deeper. This is particularly clear when working with our female students. Many people believe that a martial art is great for girls and women because it teaches self-defence. This is based on the premise that women need to learn how to defend themselves against a physical attack. It sees girls and women as potential victims of violence based on their gender.

While there are undoubted benefits to learning self-defence skills, participation in a martial art provides girls and women with so much more than protection from violence. A starting point to understanding these benefits can be found in the research into the types of benefits sport provides to girls and women. In 2015, an international consultancy (EY), published research on women in senior leadership positions in large corporations in the United States. It identified that 94% of women in the executive team (or C-suite) had played sport and 74% believed that a background in sport can help accelerate a woman’s career. Girls who play sports have “greater social and economic mobility, are less likely to use drugs, have greater personal safety, and perform better at school”.

Other research focusing specifically on women who participate in martial arts has found that it is empowering for those women, builds confidence, and can help change gender stereotypes. In martial arts, girls and boys, and women and men train together. In some martial arts, such as Kuk Sool Won™, they even compete against each other in many categories of competition. This creates an environment where men and women learn to work together, promoting equality and challenging traditional views on gender.

Almost half of our students are girls and women. Based on our experiences working with them, as well as our own experiences as women martial artists and instructors, we are well aware of the benefits martial arts training provides.

Strength: Martial arts training improves physical strength when undertaken over an extended period of time. The feeling of having a strong body can be particularly powerful for women. When I first started training, I had little in the way of upper body strength. This has changed significantly over the years of dedicated martial arts training. Feeling good in your body is an empowering experience, especially for women who can be very self-conscious and critical about their bodies.

Confidence: Participation helps girls and women to become more confident. They learn to recognise, develop and harness the strength within their bodies and minds. This in turn, is both empowering and develops self-belief. This inner confidence is far more powerful than learning any specific physical self-defence skills. They start to walk and talk differently. Their confidence encourages them to participate in life with a belief that they are worthy. This has major implications for the decisions they make, for the relationships they form, and for their attitude towards life. So much more becomes possible with self-confidence and self-belief. It opens up a world of possibilities.

Resilience: Martial arts training requires considerable patience and commitment. By training over extended periods of time, our female students develop self-discipline. They learn how persistence enables them to overcome the physical and psychological challenges martial arts training presents. They are encouraged to focus on their strengths and the things that they are good at, rather than dwelling on their failings or weaknesses. This fosters resilience and inner strength, which they can draw on to overcome challenges in other aspects of their lives.

Respect: An inclusive environment encourages respect and tolerance. Our dojang is a truly respectful place. We role model and encourage respectful relationships between all of our students. This includes our students developing a respectful relationship with themselves. Respect in turn builds self-esteem, as well as encourages the development of strong, healthy and trusting relationships. Our female students learn how it feels to be in an environment where they are respected by others, including boys and men. This can be a very empowering experience for some.

I am passionate about encouraging girls and women to explore their physicality through martial arts. If this is done in a respectful, inclusive environment, the benefits can be truly lifechanging.